• 10/13/2015
    An international panel of experts recently visited Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) to support further development of organ donation and transplantation in Qatar.

    The panel included renowned scientists and researchers from the United States, Australia and Europe who met with senior leadership at HMC and discussed operational strategies and policies that will underpin the establishment of the “Doha International Academy for Organ Donation”.

    The upcoming facility is expected to be launched early next year under the umbrella of HMC and will utilize the expertise of distinguished international faculty to promote education and research in organ donation in Qatar and internationally.
    Deputy Chief Medical Officer - Surgical Services at HMC, Dr. Abdulla Al Ansari commented: “This is a very exciting time for Qatar as we move closer to introducing this unique establishment. We are certain that the academy will support Qatar to achieve self-sufficiency in organ donation to meet the needs of the patients locally and at the same time this will have a wider impact on the region by being a hub for collaborative research, education and training in organ donation.”

    Visiting experts, Dr. Francis L. Delmonico, Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, US, Dr. Dominique Martin, Lecturer in Health Ethics at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and Dr. Mirela Busic, Head of the Institute for Transplantation and Biomedicine, Ministry of Health, Croatia, commended the Doha Model of Organ Donation which has been established on the principles of equality, ethics and fairness to promote the health and rights of donors and recipients.

    “Qatar is a small country but it is demonstrative of incredible vision with regards to organ donation and transplantation. The program of organ donation and transplantation is inclusive of all people living in Qatar, regardless of their nationality, race, gender, income status and social background. It is this spirit of equity and inclusion that is the idea behind the academy,” Dr. Martin noted.

    Dr. Delmonico said that Qatar’s commitment to a fair system in organ donation as reflected in the Doha Model of Organ Donation is unmatched by any other country in the world. “In this country, you can be a donor as well as a recipient. That is a principle for this model that I think is very important for the region. We are here to support that principle and the leadership of the country as they continue with their commitment to this principle.”

    According to Dr. Busic, the academy will play a pivotal role in promoting the Doha Model of Organ Donation in the region and internationally. “It is a unique model with ethical standards based on the guiding principles of the World Health Organization. The purpose of our visit is also to learn how this model can be applied to other countries and regions to increase the rate of deceased organ donation.”

    Medical Director of Hamad General Hospital and Director of the Organ Transplant Center, Dr. Yousuf Al Maslamani said that the upcoming academy will bolster the current organ donation and transplantation programs in Qatar and will empower the mission of reaching out to countries in need of help by aspiring to become a reference center of excellence for the region and the world.

    Director of the Qatar Organ Donation Center (Hiba), Dr. Riadh Fadhil said: “Since its launch in 2011, The Doha Model of Organ Donation has achieved remarkable success in changing the attitude of the multicultural society in Qatar, increasing organ donation many folds and implementing strategies inspired by the great vision of our leaders in providing health for all with the best international ethical and safety standards in place. This acknowledged progress by the international experts has led to the initiation of this academy projected to empower the program in Qatar and spread the spirit of the Doha Model of Organ Donation internationally.”